Match book safety clip



Dec. 20, 1960 M. A. SCHLATTERER 2,965,221

MATCH BOOK SAFETY CLIP I Filed Oct. 28, 1958 INV EN TOR. MAX A. SCHL A TTEPEE W ZA/M ZMZM ATTOIQNE YS United StfltCS f MATCH BOOK SAFETY CLIP Max A. Schlatterer, P.0. Box 5693, Cleveland, Ohio Filed Oct. 28, 1958, Ser. No. 770,121

2 Claims. (Cl. 206-29) This invention relates to a safety clip and more particularly to a safety clip especially designed for use with paper match books or the like and which is operable to a portion of the match book cover in close juxtaposition over the ignitable heads of the matches remaining in the book to thus prevent accidental igniting of the same.

In using paper matches from a match book for instance when a person has had to strike a match without returning the cover to its closed position wherein the ignitable match heads on the matches remaining in said book are covered the user sustains the risk that the remaining matches in the book would be accidentally ignited resulting thereby in perhaps grevious injury to the person. Also the fact that children have been known to play with matches and may inadvertently cause the remaining matches in the match book to be accidentally ignited is an ever present danger which is now eliminated by the safety device of my invention.

Specifically my invention eliminates the above described disadvantages among others by providing a safety clip which consists of a continuous wire framework configured in such a manner as to be attached to a paper match book or the like and which has a portion disposed over the match book cover to thus hold the top portion of said book cover in close juxtaposition over the ignitable heads of the matches enclosed therein.

An object of the present invention is to provide a novel detachable safety clip for use with a paper match book or the like and which clip consists of a frame having a portion extensible over the front of the paper match book and which is operable to hold the same in close juxtaposition over the ignitable heads of the matches to thus prevent the latter from being accidentally ignited when a match previously removed from the match book is struck on the abrasive board provided on said book.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention may be realized by one skilled in the art to which it pertains upon reference to the following disclosure of a preferred embodiment and which may be seen in the accompanying drawings of which:

Fig. l is a front elevational view of a match book with the safety clip device of the present invention disposed thereon and with the front cover of said match book open and one match being extracted from the same;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view of the safety clip device of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the safety clip device in Fig. 1 but with the front cover shown folded open;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing the front portion of said safety clip device projecting over the upper end of the cover and with part of the cover broken away to show the relative preferred location of the ignitable match heads and said portion;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the safety clip device with the match book cover partially open;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the safety clip device showing how the same is flexed when attached to a match book, the latter being shown in phantom; and

2,95,221 Patented Dec. 20, 1960 Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the safety clip device of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to Fig. 1, there is herein shown a conventional paper match book which consists of a foldable container 10, usually formed of paper material or the like, and which has a rear wall 11 and a front cover 12 integrally connected together at the upper edge of each by means of a top wall 13.

A portion of the rear wall 11, at its bottom edge, is seen to be bent forwardly and thence in a reverse upward direction relative to said rear wall to thus form a channel 15 which is adapted to receive a plurality of paper matches as are identified by the reference character 16. The matches 16 are seen to be disposed in an endwise position in close juxtaposition relative to each other, the one end of each terminating in a common mounting block 17. The opposite end of each of said matches is provided with a suitable ignitable head as is indicated at 18.

Disposed on the outside surface of the channel part 15 is an abrasive plate 18a upon which the aforesaid ignitable head of the match 16 is usually struck to thus effect its being ignited.

The safety clip of the present invention provides a novel structure whereby the ignitable heads 18 of the matches remaining in the container 10 are not directly exposed to the effects of striking a previously withdrawn match from the aforesaid container.

More specifically, the instant form of safety clip of the present invention as is herein identified in its entirety by the reference character 19, is preferably constructed of a continuous length of metallic wire and includes a pair of intermediate arm members 20 each of which is integrally connected at one end to a leg member 21, the latter projecting angularly from said connected arm member and having an inwardly extending hooked end as is indicated at 22. Said hooked end preferably extends inwardly and forwardly of the aforesaid arm and leg members 20 and 21 respectively. The opposite end of each of said arm members is integrally attached to one end of a shoulder bar 23, the latter projecting laterally outwardly therefrom and integrally connected, in turn, at its opposite end to one of a pair of inner leg members 25 of a forwardly projecting downwardly facing loop portion as indicated in its entirety by the reference numeral 26. Said loop portion also includes a pair of rail members 28 each of which is integrally connected at its one end with the uppermost end of one of the aforesaid leg members 25. In like manner, said loop portion also includes a pair of downwardly extending front leg members 29 each of which, in turn, is integrally attached at one end to one of the aforesaid rail members 28 and interconnected at the opposite ends thereof to a tie bar 30. As best seen in Figs. 2 and 3, the arm members 29, leg members 21, shoulder bars 23 and inner leg members 25 are preferably in coplanar relation one to the other. Rail members 28 preferably extend perpendicularly forwardly of the aforesaid leg members 25 of the loop portion 26 whereas, front leg members 29 project downwardly in substantial perpendicular relation to the aforesaid rail members 28 and in parallel spaced relation to the inner leg members 25.

With this construction the safety clip is attached to the match book in the following manner.

With the foldable container 10 of the match book being preferably in its closed position as is seen in Fig. 6, the loop portion 26 of the safety clip is placed over the top wall 13 of said container such that the inner leg members 25 lie against the rear wall 11. In this manner, the aforesaid leg members 21 of said clip project downwardly along said rear container wall and outwardly "heads 18 of the matches 16 contained therein.

.in said container. clip is thus operable to prevent the accidental ignition of the matches remaining in the container 10.

"tainer wall 11 andinto the channel 15,-asmay"beseen With "the-safety clip thus mounted on -the match book,

the :loop portion 26 thereof is disposed such thatithe tie =bar30 lies over that part of the container -front cover 12 which in turn, #is disposed directly over the ignitable In this manner, said'latter container portion of the front cover is retained in closed position over the ignitable-match heads 18. 7

When removinga match from the -aforesaid book, the front cover is preferably'folded upwardly :as is seen in Fig. 3, wherein a match is then extracted from the side of the containerin amanner-as is shown in Fig. 1.

When removinga match from the aforesaid book, the front cover is preferably folded upwardly as is seen in Fig. 3, wherein the bottom portion of the matches are exposed. One of said matches may then be extracted from the=side of the container in a manner as is shown in Fig. 1. During this interval, the ignitable heads 18 by the upper part-of the front cover 12. When the user,

thereafter wishes to strike the head 18 of the match removed from the container 10, he may first, if so desired, leavethe front cover 12 in its Fig. 3 position or he may completely close-said front cover wherein the lower end of the latter is tucked behind the abrasive plate 180 as'shown in Fig. 6. It will hence be realized that when the aforesaid ignitable match head is scraped across the abrasive plate 18a, any ignited particles which may be struck from the same are thus prevented from coming into contact with the aforementioned matches remaining In this manner therefore, the safety Having thus described my invention it will be realized by one skilled in the art to whichit pertains that thesame is susceptible of various modifications without departing from the inventive concepts'as are defined in the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a match supply of the class herein set forth including a match assembly and a foldable cover having front and rear panels for extension over said assembly, means for retaining said cover in position enclosing the ignitable heads of said match assembly comprising a one-piece clip having aloop part substantially U-shaped in configuration and extendable over the portion of said cover panels in juxtaposition to said ignitable heads, and spaced leg means connectable at opposite ends of said loop part'being extendable over the rear panel of said cover and effective to retain said clip on said match supply.

2. In combination, a match supply of the class herein set forth including .a match assembly and a foldable cover having front and rear panels for extension over said assembly, means forretaining-said cover in position enclosing the ignitable heads of said match "assembly comprising a one-piece clip having a loop part substantially U-shaped in configuration and extendable over'the portion of said cover panels in juxtaposition *to said ignitable heads, and spaced flexible leg means connectable at opposite ends of said loop part beingextendable over the rear panel of'said cover and having hook means at the free ends thereof flexibly engageable with said match assembly and'effective to retain said clip onsaid match supply.

References Cited in the file ofthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,515,072 Bennett July 11, 1950 2,620,920 Hill Dec. 9, 1952 2,839,184 April June 17, 1958 

